The Ultimate 'Build-A-PC' Thread. Complete With Pricings & Recommendations (06/06/10)

I meant the pdf for the rebate doesn't show up :)

I'm in need of a new card now since the guy finally paid up.  Should I go with an Asus, MSI, or Gigabyte 770 instead of the PNY one?  I was reading PNY doesn't make the most reliable cards.  I guess money really isn't an issue since I have about $350 to spend after selling that 7950.

 
I would go with Asus/MSI/Gigabyte over PNY.  That said, the stocks on MSI are virtually non-existant right now (at least with Newegg and Amazon), Gigabytes are a tad overpriced at $340ish, and Asus is in the same boat.  Also, Newegg seems to have ended the free games promotion with Nvidia cards so while you don't get codes to resell (probably around $50ish total considering all of those games are getting heavy discounts now) you can make use of the 10% off instant discount using MasterPass to buy a card (works up to $50 on an order).

Right now, at this very moment, if you wanted to pull the trigger I'd say the MSI 770 Lightning is the best buy at $345.  After the discount it would be $310 and $295 after a further $15 MIR.  The Lightning has a slightly higher overclock than the 770 Gaming edition although from what I've read it isn't necessarily worth the premium.  That said, it is the only MSI of that tier (770/280x) available from either Newegg or Amazon currently.

Fake/real edit -- Getting conflicting reports on whether or not the game promo is still on.  I tried with the Asus and it didn't add the games to the cart.  Some people are saying it is with others... who knows... might want to get in now if you'd just prefer the straight discount.

Nevermind all that, cards are back and showing up with that MSI.  Blegh.

 
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Thanks man.  The cards kept going in and out of stock yesterday.  I was up at around 3 in the morning and they weren't showing up.  Unfortunately, my master card was expired and I couldn't find my new one so I couldn't place the order.  I'm going to see what today brings and if anything just pick up the MSI with the games and try to sell the games separately.

 
Yeah, it seems like if you clicked at the right time you could bring up the cart without the cards.  At this point, though, I'd rather just have the straight discount as I've heard people having trouble with redeeming codes (which makes it extremely problematic to sell to third parties).  And above all that their stock of 770's is still terrible, as is Amazon's.  I don't understand how they're failing so hard to restock 770's.

FYI, as of right now -- 6:43pm Central -- seems like they're out of cards again, so you can get the 770 Lightning for $310ish after MasterPass code.

 
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Well I ended up buying the Gigabyte 770 2gb OC.  I really wanted the MSI, but I don't think the "reactor" would fit with the heatsink right next to it.  I figured the Gigabyte is pretty close in clock speeds so I went with that one.  I guess I could've gone with the 4gb for $20 more, but like you said, Mooby, it doesn't really help.

 
Gigabyte makes solid cards so not too much difference between them and MSI.  On the MSI front, though, if anyone wanted to splurge for a 780 you can grab the MSI one from Newegg now for $425ish shipped after the MasterPass code and $20 MIR.

 
I just got a notice that my card was delivered... I can't wait to get out of work and install it.  I also bought Arkham Origins for $10 on ebay since it didn't come with it.  Now I'm trying to find Black Flag for a decent price.

 
(how close am I here?)

Next-Gen gaming (PS4 / XB1) PC equivalent cost is:
$460: (because ps4/xb1 don't seem to have a separate graphics card)

-or-
$730: (for the ability to remote-stream games to the Shield)
=======See Below======
$145 =
AMD FX-8100 2.8GHz Socket AM3+
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-95-WATT-FX-8-CORE-CPU-UPGRADE-FOR-MSI-760GM-P23-FX-MOTHERBOARD-USERS-/151167614352?pt=CPUs&hash=item23324abd90

$270 =
Nvidia GeForce 670 2GB
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Galaxy-GeForce-GTX-670-67NPH6DV5ZVX-2GB-256-Bit-PCI-Express-Video-Card-/171139266644?pt=PCC_Video_TV_Cards&hash=item27d8b1f854

$50
AM3+ MotherBoard
http://www.ebay.com/itm/GIGABYTE-GA-78LMT-S2-AM3-AMD-760G-Micro-ATX-AMD-Motherboard-/290972191124?pt=Motherboards&hash=item43bf4b4994

$65 =
8GB RAM (1066MHz)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/8GB-2-X-4GB-DDR3-1066-PC3-8500-1066MHz-DESKTOP-8-GB-Go-/180561094237?pt=US_Memory_RAM_&hash=item2a0a47a65d

$40 =
500GB Hard Drive (7200rpm)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Seagate-ST3500071FC-500-GB-7200rpm-Hard-Drive-/200988974830?pt=US_Internal_Hard_Disk_Drives&hash=item2ecbe05eee

$60 =
Case
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antec-ONE-Gaming-Series-Full-ATX-Tower-Computer-Case-/111107159460?pt=US_Computer_Cases&hash=item19de80b5a4

$30 =
Power Supply
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Stability-Power-750W-ATX-Gaming-Computer-Supply-Intel-Core-i3-i5-i7-6-8-pin-/281166660339?pt=PCA_UPS&hash=item4176d6c2f3

$15 =
DVD-ROM Drive
http://www.ebay.com/itm/PLDS-DH-16D3S-SATA-DVD-ROM-DRIVE-HP-419496-001-/230423145709?pt=US_CD_DVD_Blu_Ray_Drives&hash=item35a64a2ced

$45 =
Wireless 360 Controller for Windows

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B004QRKWKQ/ref=sr_1_9_olp?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1385986603&sr=1-9&keywords=360+wireless+controller+pc&condition=new

$10 =
Keyboard, Mouse

Keyboard: http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=108&cp_id=10809&cs_id=1080903&p_id=9277&seq=1&format=2
Mouse: http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=108&cp_id=10809&cs_id=1080901&p_id=9255&seq=1&format=2

 
They have the hardware the is the equivalent of a graphics card (just no dedicated video memory).  You aren't going to be able to build a PC that runs XB1/PS4 games without a dedicated graphics card.  You're also forgetting an OS for the computer unless you already have at least Windows 7, if not, that'll run another $80.

 
In case anyone is interested. I am selling my Nvidia Galaxy 460 GTX card. Its the 768mb version. $25 shipped. Handles any game but of course on medium to low if you are playing something like BF4.

 
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Hey everyone I know nothing about PC parts or specs so bear with me here. I came across a relatively low price for what I was told is a good beginners gaming rig. So being told that brought up a red flag in my head immediately.

So I was wondering if I could get some feed back on the specs I was given. Maybe what you think the price tag on something like this should be or just better off finding something else.

CPU: AMD FX 8320 3.5 GHZ
Motherboard: Asus 760g
8GB of Ram
1TB HDD
Radeon R9 270X 2GB
Corsair 200R case
500 Watt PSU

I was already thinking of building my own rig recently with my laptop dying and being in need of a new PC. But being beyond a noob in this area and not being used to that feeling has me 2nd guessing myself.

Sorry for the long post any feedback would be appreciated! Thanks
 
These are new prices:

FX 8320- $150 (or $100 at Microcenter, but not available in all states)

Asus 760g- $50

8 GB Ram- $60

1 TB HDD- $50

R9 270X- $200

Corsair 200R- $30

500 Watt PSU- $30

So about $570 new, if you're buying it used, I think $450 is a reasonable price to ask for, and $500 is probably the most you should pay.

If you want to start a new build for about the same price, I'd recommend getting a core i3, a GTX 760, and an SSD, much better gaming performance.

Here's the best graphics card deal in this range:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127744

If you want a full build of recommended parts, I'm sure someone can throw that together pretty easily.

 
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Thanks a lot very helpful reply. I think I'm going to start anew build but yes right in the same price range. I didn't really want to go over 650 ATM. His price is just about right but I figure I'll throw a few extra bucks into it. With your suggestions and possibly some other CAGs I'm sure I'll be happier with the end product.
 
Here's an example using Intel/Nvidia/SSD totaling $632. 

Core i3 Processor ($140):http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.aspx?sku=724591

MSI Z87 ATX Motherboard ($40 AR when bought with CPU): http://www.microcenter.com/product/414820/Z87-G41_PC_Mate_Socket_LGA_1150_ATX_Intel_Motherboard

RAM ($65 when bought with CPU): http://www.microcenter.com/product/382101/Ballistix_Sport_8GB_DDR3-1600_(PC3-12800)_CL9_Dual_Channel_Desktop_Memory_Kit_(Two_4GB_Memory_Modules)

250gb SSD ($140): Samsung Evo goes on sale for this price often

GTX 760 ($200 AR): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127744&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=1312731&SID=

Case ($22 AR): http://www.microcenter.com/product/323929/V3_Black_Edition_ATX_Mid_Tower_Computer_Case

500 watt PSU ($25 AR): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153165

Just an example for anyone interested, should be well balanced and play all games maxed out at 1080p (although the tough games won't consistently be 60fps). I'd prefer a better deal on RAM, case, and PSU,

For anyone that can spend $40 more, the i5 4670k will ensure you have plenty of power for new games. And for anyone wanting to save $40, the AMD FX 6300 with MSI AM3+ board will provide great performance for the money.

 
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In my opinion I think a fx8320 with an 760 is a better option. Games with take advantage of the multicore processor this generation and that processor is only a few steps behind a 4670k.
 
Yea the only thing that I was pretty certain about was the fx8320 with the ASUS mobo.

Looking further into it I wanted the M5A78L-M LX(mainly for the lowprice tag and bang for the buck) is only good with up to 95w CPUs and the FX8320 is a 125w.

So you guys got any recommendations around the same price compatible with the 8320. They seemed like a pair with the over clocking capabilities and such but looking further into it it seems like a no go....
 
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Can I get some recommendations for a new mouse/keyboard set up for my gaming/home computer? My only requirement (if possible) is I would prefer to not have the items be crazy colors. I would prefer straight black or non-neon colors/black for anything I buy for my home. I suppose I would like the mouse to be wired and have at least a few programmable buttons. Any suggestions?

I was thinking about the Logitech G710+ keyboard, which is on sale at the moment from Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Mechanical-Keyboard-Tactile-High-Speed/dp/B009C98NPY).

 
Would you guys recommend the Alienware m11x? I'm looking to get something to replace my android tablet. I want something that is powerful enough to run some of my smaller indie steam games like mercenary kings, Starbound, and torchlight 2 but also small/light enough so I can easily take it with me to and from work everyday.  I looked at reviews and it seems like a mixed bag. Some people loved it and others hated it.  Someone on Craigslist has the R2 revision with a core i7 640UM, 500gb HDD, 4gb ram, external dvd drive, Nvidia GeForce GT 335M for $500. Seems like a good deal and it is what I'm looking for but I'm a little worried since this is a old discontinued laptop so I'm not sure how long it will last.   

 
Sinfulfate said:
Would you guys recommend the Alienware m11x? I'm looking to get something to replace my android tablet. I want something that is powerful enough to run some of my smaller indie steam games like mercenary kings, Starbound, and torchlight 2 but also small/light enough so I can easily take it with me to and from work everyday. I looked at reviews and it seems like a mixed bag. Some people loved it and others hated it. Someone on Craigslist has the R2 revision with a core i7 640UM, 500gb HDD, 4gb ram, external dvd drive, Nvidia GeForce GT 335M for $500. Seems like a good deal and it is what I'm looking for but I'm a little worried since this is a old discontinued laptop so I'm not sure how long it will last.
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Look at the Lenovo Y410 or the Y510. Either should have the Nvidia's GT 750 with an Ivy bridge processor for around $600-$700. I think the M11 is a bit outdated given that the card is only a 335M and for $500

 
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denze said:
Look at the Lenovo Y410 or the Y510. Either should have the Nvidia's GT 750 with an Ivy bridge processor for around $600-$700. I think the M11 is a bit outdated given that the card is only a 335M and for $500
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I ended up not picking it up. I looked at the Lenovo Y410 and Y510 but they are a bit much for what I'm looking for. I have a gaming desktop PC already so I don't want a mid-high end 15" gaming laptop. The Razor Edge Pro is exactly the type of device I want but its way too expensive.

 
I was going to make a thread but since the title says recommendations as well I guess I'll ask here first. I'm NOT a PC gamer in the slightest but want to play Marvel Heroes and these are the requirements:

  • CPU: Core 2 DUO 2.1 GHz / AMD Athlon X2 2.1 GHZ or better
  • Graphics Card: DirectX10 Compatible card with 512 MB VRAM or higher that fully supports Shader Model 3.0
  • System RAM: 2Gb or higher
  • Hard Disk Space: 10Gb or higher
  • OS: Windows XP 32 bit or higher
I need to get a new computer anyway and just use it for general desktop usage (net, music, Youtube, etc) so I really don't want to invest into building one and just want to buy one. For $500 or less can I get something recommended that can easily play that game as well as be used as a regular desktop? Maybe something that allows for basic upgrading in the future (swapping out video cards and such) but that's about all I want since I don't play games asides from that one I want to or do anything that requires a lot of power like video editing or such. I'm not very computer savvy so if any of this sounds dumb, sorry.

EDIT: Don't need a combo as I already have a monitor, keyboard, and such.

 
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Navex said:
I was going to make a thread but since the title says recommendations as well I guess I'll ask here first. I'm NOT a PC gamer in the slightest but want to play Marvel Heroes and these are the requirements:

  • CPU: Core 2 DUO 2.1 GHz / AMD Athlon X2 2.1 GHZ or better
  • Graphics Card: DirectX10 Compatible card with 512 MB VRAM or higher that fully supports Shader Model 3.0
  • System RAM: 2Gb or higher
  • Hard Disk Space: 10Gb or higher
  • OS: Windows XP 32 bit or higher
I need to get a new computer anyway and just use it for general desktop usage (net, music, Youtube, etc) so I really don't want to invest into building one and just want to buy one. For $500 or less can I get something recommended that can easily play that game as well as be used as a regular desktop? Maybe something that allows for basic upgrading in the future (swapping out video cards and such) but that's about all I want since I don't play games asides from that one I want to or do anything that requires a lot of power like video editing or such. I'm not very computer savvy so if any of this sounds dumb, sorry.

EDIT: Don't need a combo as I already have a monitor, keyboard, and such.
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Forgot to ask, where do you live? do you have a microcenter near you?

EDIT: Yesterday I posted an Intel build which was based on the 4440 with no discrete card. It came out to around $500 +. Here's a setup with a R9 270 with AMD's Richland 760k which comes out to $530

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/denze/saved/3Z1u

 
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I'm putting together a mini ITX system. I'm not into PC gaming really at this time, but I'd like to have enough horsepower for everything else. I'm thinking going Intel, but what CPU should I go with? RAM? Looking for best bang for the buck type parts.
 
Eggplant_Wizard said:
I'm putting together a mini ITX system. I'm not into PC gaming really at this time, but I'd like to have enough horsepower for everything else. I'm thinking going Intel, but what CPU should I go with? RAM? Looking for best bang for the buck type parts.
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Mooby said:
Not quite sure I understand. 'Everything else' = ?
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Mooby has a good question. Also if it's your first I do NOT recommend building a mini-itx gaming rig. It can obviously be done but it is at least a level or 2 more difficult given the extra cable mangement, literally squeezing everything in, lack of upgrade ability, etc. Plus there's the cooling factor to consider... If want a system that really plays everything and does it well it's going to generate some decent heat.

 
I meant everything else as in general computer use. I've been building my own computers for years, but it's been a while and I'm just getting back into what's current. I usually go AMD, but there aren't any mITX boards that interest me.
 
Honestly you might just consider a tablet.  Is there anything you'd be doing that would require a powerful CPU?  If not, and you still want a desktop you can get some Intel i3 processors for as little as $120ish (possibly lower) and a mITX mobo for around $80-100ish.  Currently Intel is on 4th generation (Haswell) processors so you'd want something like an i3-4130 -- then just pick a corresponding 1150 socket motherboard of the form factor of your preference mini ITX, micro ATX, etc. (Gigabyte, ASUS, and MSI are the brands you want to go with).  There isn't going to be a lot of choice but that isn't really a concern given your needs.  Then when you've picked a mobo you'll know what RAM to buy (go with 8 GB) though I think most DDR3 will go in most boards so long as you aren't getting the kooky overclocked variety.

 
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encendido5 said:
Here's a nice, well-reviewed mITX case for $30 after rebate if you're still going that route.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119276
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I have the 130, which is a little better. They fits full sized video cards, which is awesome. Tons of room inside for being small. Venting is decent. You can't fit a good air CPU cooler, which is the biggest downside to me.

Unlike the 130, the 120 doesn't have a mesh front, which obviously helps airflow.

 
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And just to throw it out there if you wanted to build a system that you could expand on in the future to make a gaming system I'd opt for an i5-4670 (k/unlocked isn't really important unless you know you want to do overclocking) which would run you another $80ish.  Additionally 750ti graphic cards are $150. You won't be maxing out games but it should allow you to play most stuff on medium settings for the next couple of years.  Obviously that adds $250+ to your budget but just putting it out there if you have the money and want to consider it.

 
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Also if it's a gaming rig or no I'd go with full modular power supply in a mini-itx system. I've only ever built one itx system but wire management in the tight space was the biggest freaking pain. A modular PSU would save you tons of time and cut down on your wire clutter freeing up some airflow.

 
ZForce915 said:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1594959

For a sub-$300 build, what does everyone think of this? It's mainly going to be a general use computer and maybe some old games like Modern Warfare (the first one) and old hits like that.
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You can get more for your money if you build something, and if you have a local microcenter near you. Most of the time you can get a motherboard either free or around $10 bucks with CPU bundles. I actually only get this parts from microcenter whenever I need to sell my old system and build new. It's just totally worth it.

I don't like any of the A6 processors, too slow imo. Look around for benchmarks using google. tomshardware is a good choice.

 
Not sure where to put this question but since this is a pc enthusiast thread I will ask here. Does anyone have an nvidia shield and if so do you recommend it? Looking at it to stream my pc games and some emulation.
 
ghost1914 said:
Not sure where to put this question but since this is a pc enthusiast thread I will ask here. Does anyone have an nvidia shield and if so do you recommend it? Looking at it to stream my pc games and some emulation.
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In a just a month or two the Shield 2 will be out. You might as well wait for that. The shield uses an old android OS and it really doesn't take advantage of all the horsepower of the device. Shield 2 will be modular and also receive quarterly updates based on new kitkat updates. Might as well just wait if I were you.

 
s0undwav3 said:
In a just a month or two the Shield 2 will be out. You might as well wait for that. The shield uses an old android OS and it really doesn't take advantage of all the horsepower of the device. Shield 2 will be modular and also receive quarterly updates based on new kitkat updates. Might as well just wait if I were you.
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A day late as I bought it yesterday and opened today. For getting it all with store credit I'm happy with my purchase. If the shield 2 does release soon as in 1-2 months I'll see what I can get for this one and upgrade. It does what I need it to do and does it well.
 
Possibly looking to build my first pc with a budget of $700-800. Aside from everyday activities(internet, youtube, etc), it would be used for editing/capturing game footage(elgato game capture), streaming, and maybe some pc gaming. I'm really only looking to play dayz.

It would also be nice to get a ssd in the build as well with room for 1 or 2 hdd's.

 
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Hey guys, long time no see this thread...lol. I built a pc with you guys a while back that ended up bitchen and im here to ask for guidance once again.

My goal is to build a pc Capable of running ff14, at 60frames 1080p on max settings. My estimated budget is between $500 and $800.

Here is what i dont need: Monitor, case (im building this pc inside a vfd cabinet i reclaimed from a water treatment plant) Mouse, KB or optical drive.

I basically need everything else. you guys are awesome at making these builds so any help is greatly appreciated!

 
chibilaharl said:
Hey guys, long time no see this thread...lol. I built a pc with you guys a while back that ended up bitchen and im here to ask for guidance once again.

My goal is to build a pc Capable of running ff14, at 60frames 1080p on max settings. My estimated budget is between $500 and $800.

Here is what i dont need: Monitor, case (im building this pc inside a vfd cabinet i reclaimed from a water treatment plant) Mouse, KB or optical drive.

I basically need everything else. you guys are awesome at making these builds so any help is greatly appreciated!
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That's pretty easy, actually. Just get a GTX 760 (~$250), i5 Haswell (~$200), 8 GB RAM ($70), just about any motherboard ($70-200). Alternatively, you can get away with a GTX 660 (~$200). I wouldn't go down to an i3, just because it's harder to upgrade in the future. Though spending the same amount on your processor and video card is usually a no-no.

I have an Ivy Bridge i5, GTX 670, and I benchmark like 13000 on FFXIV.

 
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